Apparatus and method for indicating password quality and variety

• US 8,108,685 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hurley, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, ELLEN C
• Application Number:
  US11/940,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20080072320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 726/5, 726/6, 726/21, 713/182, 713/183, 713/184
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords

Abstract

A method of presenting password information to a user, the method comprising: receiving a password; determining the number of unique character sets utilized in the password; and displaying the number of unique character sets that are contained within the password.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information about password quality to a user as the user is entering a password, comprising:

receiving a substring of the password which includes one or more characters of the password that have been received from the user;

dynamically determining a quality of the substring of the password as the characters are being received, wherein the quality of the substring of the password is a measure of the susceptibility of the substring of the password to being cracked; and

dynamically updating a quality meter being displayed to the user, wherein the quality meter displays the quality of the substring of the password as the characters are being received from the user so that the user can dynamically improve the quality of the substring of the password as the user is entering characters for the password;

wherein determining the quality of the substring involves determining sz^N to determine a number of passwords which can be formed using up to N characters and using a character set with size sz, wherein sz is a number of characters in a character set for the substring, and N is a length of the substring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password increases after receiving a given character, dynamically updating the quality meter involves increasing a length of a progress bar in the quality meter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password decreases after receiving a given character, dynamically updating the quality meter involves decreasing a length of a progress bar in the quality meter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically updating the quality meter involves dynamically updating a color of the quality meter based on the quality of the substring of the password being received, wherein the color of the quality meter indicates the quality of the substring of the password being received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password is below a minimum allowed quality level, the method further comprises indicating to the user that the quality of the substring of the password is below the minimum allowed quality level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password is equal to a minimum allowed quality level, the method further comprises indicating to the user that the quality of the substring of the password is equal to the minimum allowed quality level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password is above a minimum allowed quality level, the method further comprises indicating to the user that the quality of the substring of the password is above the minimum allowed quality level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the quality of the substring of the password can be based on quality criteria which can include one or more of:

a length of the substring of the password;

a variety of characters in the substring of the password;

a size of a character set used to form the substring of the password;

whether the substring of the password can be found in a dictionary;

whether the substring of the password is based on a user'"'"'s name; and

whether the substring of the password is based on a login name for the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically updating a text field being displayed to the user, wherein text within the text field provides information about the quality of the substring of the password being received.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the password information is displayed on a change password screen which allows the user to change the password for the user.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for displaying information about password quality to a user as the user is entering a password, comprising:

receiving a substring of the password which includes one or more characters of the password that have been received from the user;

dynamically determining a quality of the substring of the password as the characters are being received, wherein the quality of the substring of the password is a measure of the susceptibility of the substring of the password to being cracked; and

dynamically updating a quality meter being displayed to the user, wherein the quality meter displays the quality of the substring of the password as the characters are being received from the user so that the user can dynamically improve the quality of the substring of the password as the user is entering characters for the password;

wherein determining the quality of the substring involves determining sz^N to determine a number of passwords which can be formed using up to N characters and using a character set with size sz, wherein sz is a number of characters in a character set for the substring, and N is a length of the substring.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password increases after receiving a given character, dynamically updating the quality meter involves increasing a length of a progress bar in the quality meter.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password decreases after receiving a given character, dynamically updating the quality meter involves decreasing a length of a progress bar in the quality meter.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein dynamically updating the quality meter involves dynamically updating a color of the quality meter based on the quality of the substring of the password being received, wherein the color of the quality meter indicates the quality of the substring of the password being received.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password is below a minimum allowed quality level, the method further comprises indicating to the user that the quality of the substring of the password is below the minimum allowed quality level.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password is equal to a minimum allowed quality level, the method further comprises indicating to the user that the quality of the substring of the password is equal to the minimum allowed quality level.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein if the quality of the substring of the password is above a minimum allowed quality level, the method further comprises indicating to the user that the quality of the substring of the password is above the minimum allowed quality level.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the quality of the substring of the password can be based on quality criteria which can include one or more of:

a length of the substring of the password;

a variety of characters in the substring of the password;

a size of a character set used to form the substring of the password;

whether the substring of the password can be found in a dictionary;

whether the substring of the password is based on a user'"'"'s name; and

whether the substring of the password is based on a login name for the user.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising dynamically updating a text field being displayed to the user, wherein text within the text field provides information about the quality of the substring of the password being received.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the password information is displayed on a change password screen which allows the user to change the password for the user.

21. An apparatus that displays information about password quality to a user as the user is entering a password, comprising:

a password-entry mechanism configured to receive a substring of the password which includes one or more characters of the password that have been received from the user;

a quality-determination mechanism configured to dynamically determine a quality of the substring of the password as the characters are being received, wherein the quality of the substring of the password is a measure of the susceptibility the substring of the password to being cracked; and

a display mechanism configured to dynamically update a quality meter being displayed to the user, wherein the quality meter displays the quality of the substring of the password as the characters are being received from the user so that the user can dynamically improve the quality of the substring of the password as the user is entering characters for the password;

wherein determining the quality of the substring involves determining sz^N to determine a number of passwords which can be formed using up to N characters and using a character set with size sz, wherein sz is a number of characters in a character set for the substring, and N is a length of the substring.